Kuhn socked with $15K bill from final pay of $25K

The Marion County Sheriff's Office took almost $15,000 of former Undersheriff Dan Kuhn's final pay to cover investigative costs and other expenses connected with his extramarital affair.

By Bill ThompsonStaff writer

Former Undersheriff Dan Kuhn was owed more than $25,000 by the Sheriff’s Office for unpaid vacation and compensatory time. But Kuhn, driven from his job as second-in-command by a sex scandal, will see less than $1,000 — after accounting for federal taxes and the nearly $15,000 that Sheriff Ed Dean docked him for the cost of an internal affairs investigation into allegations of Kuhn’s official misconduct.

Dean, who leaves office Tuesday, sent a letter to Kuhn on Monday outlining the expenses related to a probe into Kuhn’s extramarital affair with Melissa Cook, the former principal at Hale Academy.

Cook’s accusations, made in October, that Kuhn had sex with her while on the clock and used government vehicles to meet with or transport her for their trysts ended his career at the Sheriff’s Office and his bid to become the next sheriff.

Dean’s successor, Chris Blair, will be sworn in Tuesday after he was put back on the ballot by local Republican leaders after Kuhn quit the race. Blair easily defeated Constitution Party candidate Bernie DeCastro in November.

Recently, prosecutors opted against pursuing criminal charges against Kuhn, saying his conduct, while inappropriate, did not warrant prosecution.

Dean had earlier pledged to recoup the costs for taxpayers. In his letter, the sheriff noted that Kuhn was due $25,057 for unpaid vacation and compensatory time.

The sheriff deducted the cost of the investigation and some of the expenses Kuhn had claimed during a January 2012 conference in Jacksonville, at which he met with Cook.

That left $10,508.

After federal taxes were applied, Kuhn was left with $878, the letter indicates.

Lawyers representing Kuhn were unavailable for comment on Monday.

Meanwhile, an Ocala lawyer representing two of Kuhn’s former underlings and close personal associates, who were accused of facilitating his relationship with Cook, have asked for more of the evidence that allegedly points to their involvement.

In its report last month the Sheriff’s Office’s Internal Affairs investigation substantiated accusations by Cook that Maj. David Sperring and Capt. Chip Wildy fully knew about the relationship — and they abetted it by not reporting Kuhn.

Dean subsequently suspended both officials with pay pending the outcome of the two-pronged inquiry by Internal Affairs and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Last month, in releasing Inspector Leo Smith’s report, Dean said he was willing to entertain resignations by Sperring and Wildy.

But Smith concluded that Sperring and Wildy each were placed in an awkward position because Kuhn was their supervisor.

Rob Bradshaw, the lawyer representing both men, said on Monday that his recent letter to the sheriff asking for all the information uncovered by Smith was an exercise of the deputies’ rights under the Police Officer’s Bill of Rights, a state law that offers law enforcement officers certain protections for information they provide during criminal investigations.

What the Sheriff’s Office provides will be used to make the case for their jobs to Blair, who will now decide their fate, said Bradshaw.

The first step is a “pre-disciplinary” meeting with the new sheriff. Depending on how that goes, Bradshaw said, the deputies could request another proceeding before what’s known as a career service board, a panel of Marion deputies picked jointly by the sheriff and Sperring and Wildy.

Under state law the board has the authority to overturn Blair’s decision if Sperring and Wildy can convince their colleagues the punishment is too harsh.

Bradshaw acknowledged the matter will be a test for Blair. Both of Bradshaw’s clients were Kuhn’s friends and had publicly supported him for sheriff.

“This is an opportunity for Sheriff Blair to say, ‘They were avid supporters of Dan Kuhn, but fair is fair,’ ” Bradshaw said.

“Dan Kuhn is responsible for Dan Kuhn’s actions and any of his conduct was the responsibility of his supervisor.”